City Six: Hawks’ motto? Never say die

In the Atlantic Ten, if a team is going bad, the good news is that there is always next week. Just look at St. Joseph's as an example of how quickly things can turn.

After a 78-60 loss to Temple on Jan. 28, the Hawks were truly reeling, having lost for the fourth time in five games.

Then last week, St. Joseph's put together a two-game winning streak with victories at Richmond and at the Palestra against La Salle. All of a sudden, the Hawks are in the thick of the A-10 race.

Temple leads the conference with a 6-2 record, but the field is tightly bunched behind the Owls. The Hawks are in a tie for seventh at 5-4, just 1 1/2 games out of first.

"We have a league that is very, very unusual for how competitive the games are going to be and how a decision on a Wednesday night and Saturday changes where you are," St. Joseph's coach Phil Martelli said.

The Hawks (15-9, 5-4) meet St. Louis (18-5, 6-3) Wednesday night at Hagan Arena. It will be the first of back-to-back games against teams that are 6-3 in the A-10, with St. Joe's hosting Massachusetts on Saturday.

In expressing the same sentiments about the Atlantic Ten as Martelli, La Salle coach John Giannini said that "balanced" is a bad word in describing the conference.

"I don't want to say it's balanced because it makes everyone sound average," Giannini said. "I think there's a ton of good teams in this league, not average teams."

Because of all these good teams, Giannini said, it's important for coaches and players not to get too preoccupied by where they are in the standings. One or two games can make a big difference.

"A good week can move you to first place. A bad week can put you way down," he said. "I think it really would be a mistake for anyone to focus too much on their so-called position. I think we're all best served by focusing on our team."

Temple center Micheal Eric, who was sidelined for 13 games this season with a fractured right kneecap, was back in the starting lineup Saturday for what would be a 73-56 Owls win over Rhode Island.

The 6-foot-11 graduate student, playing in his fifth game back but making his first start, finished with four points and five rebounds in 17 minutes.

"I was hoping he'd get 20 points and 10 rebounds," joked Temple coach Fran Dunphy, who later added, "It hasn't been easy for Micheal, but he's come a long way."

The Owls have benefited most on the defensive end since Eric's return, holding their last five opponents to 60 points or fewer. In their 13 games without Eric, they allowed an average of 71.6 points.

Drexel coach Bruiser Flint calls point guard Frantz Massenat "one of the best players . . . if not the best player" in the Colonial Athletic Association, and it's easy to see why the coach feels that way.

Massenat, a 6-4 sophomore from Trenton Catholic, is a key reason the Dragons (19-5, 11-2) have won 11 straight games. He leads the team in scoring (13.0), assists (4.3), three-point percentage (47.1), and minutes (35.9). His 22 steals are tied for first, and his 40 three-point baskets are second.

What's best to an old-time guard such as Flint is that Massenat has almost twice as many assists as turnovers.

"Frantz is having a fantastic year," Flint said. "I just think he has improved an awful lot. He's done an unbelievable job of shooting the basketball."

Zack Rosen gets all the attention at Penn and rightfully so, but senior Rob Belcore has proven to be a valuable supporting player for the Quakers.

Belcore, a 6-6 swing man who was hampered last season by injuries, tied his career high with 17 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in Saturday's victory at Brown.

For the season, Belcore, who has started all but one of Penn's 22 games, is averaging 7.2 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 47.5 percent from the field. He is second on the team in rebounding and assists (2.2) and leads the Quakers in steals (1.6).

City Six Rankings

Inquirer Staff

Staff voters are Joe Juliano, Keith Pompey, Mike Jensen, Marc Narducci, John Quinn, Gary Miles, and Gary Potosky.

1. Temple
2. Drexel
3. St. Joseph's
4. La Salle
5. Villanova
6. Penn

Fan Voting

Fans' votes are counted from submissions on The Inquirer's Sports Facebook page and votes on www.philly.com/city6 since last Tuesday.

1. Temple
2. La Salle
3. Drexel
4. St. Joseph's
5. Penn
6. Villanova

(375 votes cast)

League Update

Big East

In a league that continues to belong to Syracuse, Villanova must make a mini-run in the next two games if the Wildcats are to stay out of the basement and secure a place in the middle of the pack - at least for a while. Villanova visits South Florida next Wednesday, then hosts Notre Dame on Feb. 18. Marquette and Georgetown are battling for second place. Pittsburgh is sneaking up the rankings. It is 4-7 in league play and likely en route to the NCAA bubble.

Atlantic 10

Temple has taken over first place in a league that has looked pretty muddled at the top since the new year. The Owls host GW on Wednesday, then get a huge home game Saturday against Xavier. Temple still looks like an NCAA lock, win or lose in the A-10 tournament. La Salle's standing took a hit against St. Joseph's on Saturday, and the Hawks moved back into contention for a tournament bye with the win.

Colonial Athletic Association

Drexel is in a three-way tie for first place with two teams who both lost to the Dragons in Philly earlier this season. Drexel has won 11 straight after dropping its first two in league play. VCU and George Mason have both been to the Final Four in the last few years. Old Dominion, close behind the top pack, hosts Drexel in the regular-season finale for both teams on Feb. 25.

Ivy League 

Expectations remain tempered for Penn, whose loss to Yale on Friday took just a little bit of flavor out of Friday's Harvard game at the Palestra. Still, a win by the Quakers, who have just the one loss in league play, would put Penn in position to make a run at the Ivy title and automatic NCAA bid. The Quakers would then have three huge matchups - Feb. 25 at Harvard, March 3 vs. Yale in Philly, and at Princeton on March 6.

This Week's Games

Wednesday

George Washington at Temple, 6
La Salle at Richmond, 7
Drexel at James Madison, 7
St. Louis at St. Joe's, 8:30

Friday

Harvard at Penn, 7

Saturday

St. Louis at La Salle, 2
Hofstra at Drexel, 4
Dartmouth at Penn, 7
UMass at St. Joseph's, 7
Xavier at Temple, 9

Tuesday

William & Mary at Drexel, 7